Surgical instrument



March 193& J. o. PETERSON SURGICAL INSTRUMENT Filed Sept. 17, 19:54

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 fivezzfa'i X? a 7W, My 5 2 Sheets-Sheet '2 IIII HI 2 March 9, 1938. J. o. PETERSON SURGICAL INSTRUMENT Filed Sepf. 17, 1934 Patented Mar. 29, 1938 UNITED STATES PATET orFicl:

2 Claims.

My invention relates to surgical instruments and more specifically to an orthopedicand frac ture wrench.

One of the objects of my invention is to pro vide a fracture wrench having provisions Where by one of the jawsmay be adjusted to vary the distance to which it extends laterally from the operating lever to enable it to be used to operate on either one or both bones of a two-bone limb.

A further object of my invention is to provide an orthopedic and fracture wrench in which one of the jaws may be secured to the lever in either one of two positions, in one of which force is applied manually to the end of the lever remote from the jaws and in the other of which force may be applied manually to both ends of the lever.

A further object of my invention is to provide an orthopedic and fracture wrench in which one of the jaws has a provision for causing it to engage properly one bone only of a two-bone limb.

A further object is to provide an orthopedic and fracture wrench having provisions whereby a cast-removing spindle may be secured thereto.

Further objects and advantages of the inven-- tion will be apparent from the description and claims.

In the drawings, in which my invention is illustrated,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved orthopedic and fracture wrench;

Fig. 2 is a detail view of one end of the wrench;

Fig. 3 is a view showing the jaws adjusted for two-handed operation;

Fig. 4 is a detail view showing the mounting for one of the jaws;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing the instrument used as a cast remover;

Fig. 6 is a detail view of the winding spindle;

Fig. '7 is a perspective view of the slotted plate through which the wire is drawn;

Fig. 8 is a plan view of a tape used for drawing a wire underneath the cast; and

Fig. 9 is an edge view of Fig. 8.

The orthopedic and fracture wrench is used in setting broken bones or for the purpose of rebreaking improperly set bones. It may also be used for breaking or adjusting bones in the correction of congenital deformities such as club feet or the like. In such instruments, it is desirable that a wide range of adjustments be provided so that practically any portion of the extremities or limbs may be reached with case. It is also desirable that the instrument be so designed that the operator may apply pressure to a desired bone with one or both hands as occasion demands. It is also desirable that the instrument be so designed that either one or both bones of a two-bone limb may be operated upon. 5

Referring to the drawings in detail, and first to Figs. 1 to 4, inclusive, the construction shown therein comprises lever i, which may be of metal having a jaw-supporting portion 2 and an offset handle portion 3, a limb-engaging jaw 4 mounted on the lever adjacent one end thereof and having provision whereby the distance to which the operative portion of the jaw extendslaterally from the lever may be varied, and a second jaw member 5 adjustable longitudinally of the lever to enable it to be set at any desired distance from the other jaw to properly engage the limb. The adjustment of this jaw longitudinally of the lever is effected by means of a longitudinally-extending slot'G in the lever through which the anchorage portion of the jaw extends. This anchorage portion is flattened on opposite sides as shown at i (Fig. 4) to facilitate its sliding movement in the slot and is held in clamped position on the lever by means of a nut 8 threaded on the stud 9 extending from the anchorage portion and bearing against a washer it which, in turn, bears against the side of the lever l. I The nut 8 draws the shoulder ll of the jaw 5 snugly against the lever I to hold it in the desired adjusted position.

As shown in Fig. 2, the jaw 4 may be adjusted to vary the distance to which it extends laterally from the lever i so that it may be made to operate on either one or both bones of a twobone limb for rebreaking or adjusting either one or both of the bones. Fig. 2 shows the jaw 4 set for operating on one bone only, the enlargement I2 on the end of the jaw being set so as to engage the limb between the twobones l4 and 15 so as to operate only on the bone l5 nearest to the lever I. If it were desired to operate on both bones, the jaw 4 would be set to extend farther from the lever so as to overlie both of the bones l4 and I5. Before the lever is operated, the jaw 5 is slipped up in the slot 6 so as to engage the limb properly and is. then set in adjusted position by tightening up the nut 8. All of the parts may be made of metal, a suitable rubber sleeve being provided for the jaws if desired to provide a cushioning action. The jaw 4 is held in its laterally adjusted position by means of a set screw l6 threaded into the end of the lever and engaging the jaw 4.

In order to provide for two-handed operation of the lever, a jaw-receiving opening I! is provided adjacent the central portion of the lever of a size to receive the shank of the jaw 4, as shown in Fig. 3. For two-handed operation, the set screw I5 is unscrewed from the opening in the end of the lever and screws into the opening I8 in the middle portion of the lever and jaw 4 is removed from the hole in the end of the lever and inserted in the hole I! adjacent the middle of the lever. The jaw 4 is then adjusted laterally to the proper position and held in this position by tightening up the set screw 15. The jaw 5 is adjusted in the slot 6 to the proper position and tightened up, and both hands can then be used in operating the lever, as shown in Fig. 3.

Referring now to Figs. 5, 6 and 7, which show the instrument used as a cast-removing device, the construction here shown comprises, in addition to the lever l and jaw 4, a winding spindle t -8 and washer H) which were used to secure the jaw 5 in position. The jaw 4 may be set at such a position as to be used as an operating handle for winding up the cutting wire 20 on the winding spindle. In order to provide a bearing for the winding spindle IS, a slotted plate 2| is provided which is placed against the cast 22 between the cast and the winding spindle.

In using the instrument as a cast remover, the end of the wire '26 which is imbedded under the plaster cast 22, or inserted under the cast by fish tape wire inserter as described hereinafter, is inserted through a hole 23 in the end of the .winding spindle and, if desired or necessary, secured by means of a set screw 24 threaded into a tapped hole 25 in the end of the winding spindle and engaging the wire 20. The slotted plate 21 is placed in position with the wire extending through the slot 26, as shown in Fig. 5, and the lever 3 is then operated as a crank by means of the handle 4 to wind up the cast-cutting wire 20 to split the cast, as indicated at 2'1, to facilitate its removal. One hand may be used tosteady and position the instrument by holding the winding spindle while the other hand is used to operate the crank to wind up the wire.

In Figs. 8 and 9 is shown an instrument for drawing a wire underneath the cast in the event that no wire was imbedded in the cast at the time it was made. The instrument shown comprises a somewhat flexible tape 28 which may be of thin sheet metal about one-fourth of an inch wide and possibly three or four feet in length having openings at each end so that a wire may be attached at either end as desired, the tape pushed or threaded underneath the cast, and the wire then drawn underneath the cast as the tape is withdrawn from the other end of the cast. One end of the tape is provided with a hole 29 by means of which the wire may be secured to the tape while the other end is bent into the form of a loop 30, to which the end of a Wire may be attached.

It will be seen that the construction disclosed provides an orthopedic and fracture wrench in which one of the jaws may be adjusted laterally to enable it to operate on either one or both bones of a two-bone limb; that the projection on the lateral shiftable jaw enables a clear separation to be made between the bones when only one bone is to be operated upon, and that by shifting one of the jaws from the end to the central position the lever may be used either as a one-hand wrench or as a two-hand wrench.

Further modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art and it is desired, therefore, that the invention be limited only by the prior art and the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. An orthopedic and fracture wrench comprising a lever, and a pair of limb-engaging jaws extending laterally from said lever between which jaws the limb may be held, one of said jaws having a projection thereon extending toward the other jaw for engagement between the bones of a two-bone limb.

2. An orthopedic and fracture wrench comprising a level, and a pair of limb-engaging jaws extending laterally from said lever between which jaws the limb may be held, said wrench having means whereby one of said jaws may be secured to said lever in either one of two different positions on opposite sides of the other jaw whereby in one position force is applied to the lever at the end remote from the jaws and in the other position force is applied to the lever on both sides of the jaws.

JOSEPH O. PETERSON. 

